Telangana looks at Kerala on ways to curb spread of coronavirus

A team from Telangana comprising doctors and health officials arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday to study the state’s monitoring and surveillance system.

With coronavirus disease (Covid-19) cases rising in the country, some states have approached Kerala to find out how the state managed to contain India’s first three cases and has so far reported no other instances.

India’s first three cases of Covid-19 were reported in the state and all three patients, who were students back from China, were discharged after being cured. (Yogendra Kumar/HT photo for representation)

A team from Telangana comprising doctors and health officials arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday to study the state’s monitoring and surveillance system. Teams from Odisha and Madhya Pradesh are also expected to arrive soon, a Kerala health ministry official said, requesting anonymity.

The Telangana team met state health minister, KK Shailaja, and visited some of the hospitals and attended review meetings in the state capital. During the discussion, health officials described the protocol, surveillance and contact-tracing methods used.

Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, has asked all states to follow the Kerala model in tackling the virus. Union cabinet secretary, Rajiv Gauba, has also lauded the state’s efforts in containing the virus.

India’s first three cases of Covid-19 were reported in the state and all three patients, who were students back from China, were discharged after being cured. Effective isolation and monitoring mechanism and strict adherence to guidelines issued during the Nipah virus outbreak two years ago helped the state to tide over the crisis.

The state was in battle-mode after the detection of the first case on Jan 30. Isolation wards in at least 200 hospitals were ready in a few days and health workers were trained for barrier nursing to prevent secondary infection.